Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move Greens amendment (2) on sheet 7294, revised 2:

(2) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 4), omit the table item, substitute:

This amendment is essentially about changing what was to be a voluntary industry code to a mandatory industry code, as I articulated in my second reading contribution. There is, I think, very substantial agreement in this chamber that a voluntary code was inadequate. The only way the Greens can support this bill is to ensure that this code is mandatory.

As you will see from the documentation that has been circulated in the chamber, there has been some agreement reached already in the voluntary code, including some of the stocks information and access to that information. The minister has confirmed that that process will be maintained in the mandatory code or in some other vehicle if that proves unworkable—because I understand there are some issues there.

As I understand it, there has been some agreement already reached through the discussions—despite the flawed processes Senator Nash articulated—about access to stocks information. That will be maintained and will be either in the mandatory code or some other vehicle. We encourage the Senate to support this amendment, because I understand there is a fairly strong consensus in the place that such a code should be mandatory.